"Aw, they are so cute!" Dappleshade cooed softly, pale green eyes shining with warmth as she gazed down fondly at the four kits at the curve of her belly. The small, fluffy gray tom with black stripes climbed over his three solid black siblings, all were mewling and squeaking thinly.
"Indeed," Her mate Nightstorm agreed, "although they are fussy little things." The large black tom narrowed his dark eyes suspiciously. Was something wrong with his adopted kits? Something Whitefeather, Nightstorm's brother, hadn't picked up on?
"Hmmm…. did you take them to Whitefeather?"
"Yes, right after Creampaw and Milkpaw found them. Is their something wrong with them he didn't pick up on?"
The dark tortoiseshell purred, dipping her head to rasp her spiky, sandpaper over each kit's tiny head, that seemed to quiet them slightly.
"No, they just need some love is all. Plus, if you were left in the forest, I'm sure you'd be fussy too."
They nuzzled into the warmth of her fur, two choosing to nurse as the other two fell asleep.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say they were actually ours." Dappleshade purred jokingly.
"Well they are as demanding as you." Nightstorm teased, nudging her paw with his.
She gasped, "I am not demanding."
"Whatever you say, my Queen. The loveable tom said warmly, eyes crinkling at the edges with silent laugher. He purred deeply, licking his mate on the bridge of her nose.
Near the entrance, the two apprentices, Creampaw and Milkpaw, shuffled their paws awkwardly, clearing their throats to grain the lovebirds' attention.
"Oh, sorry." Dappleshade said as the couple broke out of their peaceful, blissful moment, turning toward them.
"That's ok," The two Siamese she-cats purred, icy blue eyes shimmering in the soft light.
"So, for names?" Creampaw asked.
"Hm…well, for this one," She nudged a small, fluffy black she-cat with a flat head and a slightly smooched face, "I was thinking Crykit."
"Aw, I like it." Milkpaw said.
Nightstorm named the one identical to the black she-cat Mewkit.
"Aw," Dappleshade cooed as the only gray tom crawled into neck fur, "this one's definitely Sweetkit." She declared, licking him.
"The last one should be Shykit." Creampaw nodded to a black tom who'd borrowed into the fur of Dappleshade hind leg as if he were trying to hide.
The adults nodded, curling around the bundles of fluff protectively, tails intertwined with Nightstorm's head on his mate's paw.